


Were All Stars to Disappear or Die, I Should Learn to Look at an Empty Sky

by tuxedoblack



Category: NCIS
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Smut, Threesome - M/M/M, graphic smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-22
Updated: 2013-10-22
Packaged: 2017-12-30 04:17:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1013996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuxedoblack/pseuds/tuxedoblack
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is 5,244 words of <i>smut</i>, which may or may not include some vague semblance of a plot or something. Set directly after the events of 2x10, <i>Chained</i>, though no spoilers. McGee has been a very brave little toaster in dealing with the Deputy Secretary of State, and Gibbs and Tony come to the conclusion that he deserves some TLC as a reward.  Title is lifted from W.H. Auden's <i>The More Loving One</i>, and William Stafford's <i>Being a Person</i> also makes an appearance. I own nothing and no one, and if I made any money from this, I wouldn't be a barista.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Were All Stars to Disappear or Die, I Should Learn to Look at an Empty Sky

Gibbs and Tony found McGee at his desk long after the rest of the office had emptied out, sitting tense and still with both fists clenched against his worn green blotter. His laptop was turned off, and the dark, silent monitor was in and of itself a rare sight rising from Tim's desk, but even more so was that of the man himself. He barely acknowledged them when they arrived, approaching him cautiously. The tension in his jawline indicated that he was clenching his teeth, apparently unaware that he was even still in the office.

"McGee?" Tony said softly, tiptoeing toward him as if he would leap from his seat and open fire at any moment. But he only made a low sound in his throat in response.

"Hey," Gibbs intervened, stepping up behind where Tim sat and lowering both big, warm hands to his shoulders, kneading gently. "You all right, kiddo?"

Tim flinched at the initial touch, but then sagged into it with a soft moan that stirred something long-dormant in Jethro's chest. He didn't speak for several minutes, watching Tony pull up an office chair to sit beside him. "She filed a formal complaint against me," he mumbled, finally. "She was so _mean_. I was only doing my best, it's not like I had any experience with that kind of situation." His tone was wounded, like a petulant, chastised little boy, and Tony's smile in his direction was so tender and adoring that even Gibbs couldn't help but mimic it. Their poor McGee, he reflected silently as he rubbed small, soothing circles into the back of Tim's warm neck with his callused fingertips. They'd all had a rough afternoon, but he'd been the only one dealing with his all on his own.

"Shhh," Gibbs said reassuringly, kneading a little more firmly when Tim sighed and rolled his neck into his touch. "It's all over now, I'll deal with her in the morning."

"You were amazing today," Tony added, scooting his chair a little closer to all but snuggle up to Tim in his characteristically puppy-like, affectionate way. "You take so much shit around here, especially from me, and I don't tell you nearly enough that you're awesome." Finally, McGee smiled faintly over at him, and the three of them relaxed visibly and in unison. Tony, sleepy now, nuzzled a little against McGee's soft cheek. He laughed and edged away, but Tony followed, murmuring, "you smell good. Like soap and tea. I bet you never even have to shave."

Gibbs watched this happen with slightly narrowed eyes, before clearing his throat and interjecting with, "Hey, how about we buy you a beer, McGee. You look like you could use it."

Tony yawned, but nodded his agreement to this plan. "Yeah, come on," he urged gently, and beamed when Tim nodded as well.

"Okay. Thanks, guys."

They ended up at an Irish pub in downtown Washington, sharing a round of house lagers and a plate of peppery potato wedges. Tony even managed to refrain from leering at any of the women there, in favor of feeding Tim potatoes. He opened his mouth for every one, sweet and trusting, and it reverberated in them. They finished off their round, and piled into Gibbs' car. Tim curled up in the backseat with his head in Tony's lap, a little tipsy, and made soft, pleased sounds as Tony stroked his hair. "Let's go back to my place," he suggested, rolling over onto his back to look up into Tony's face. "Let me make you guys some coffee."

"Sure," Gibbs concurred, steering his car down a side street in the direction of Tim's apartment. Tim and Tony dozed in the backseat, but both stirred awake when the car was parked with a slight lurch. Tony draped an arm around Tim's shoulders as they got out and crossed the parking lot of his building, and Tim didn't protest. He may even have pressed against him a little as he guided them through the lobby and they took the elevator up to his floor. Both Gibbs and Tony had known his address before then, but neither had been in his apartment before, and so they took their time absorbing the distinct McGee qualities of the place upon entering.

The walls were a neutral cream color, the floor a dark hardwood. Pictures of his family were framed and situated apparently at random on the walls, his couch was big and plush and chocolate-brown, and a latte-colored Scottish fold cat with white "socks" padded up to them for some attention. "Her name's Penny, she's a rescue cat," Tim said fondly, watching Tony kneel to pet her. "Pick her up, she loves attention. She's a little diva." Tony obeyed, scooping the purring mass of fur into his arms and cooing at her. Tim toed off his shoes, encouraging the others to do the same with a wave of his hand. "I'll go put the coffee on, you guys relax. Turn on the TV if you want, the remote's on the coffee table."

They curled up on the couch but left the TV off, and soon the warm, familiar scent of coffee floated in from the kitchen. Tim reappeared with three steaming mugs on a wooden serving tray, with a little ceramic pitcher of cream and a matching sugar bowl. The whole set was entirely charming, and Tony picked up the bowl to inspect it. "Sometimes I wonder if you're even like. _Real_ ," he said, glancing over at Tim with a touch of genuine awe in his voice. Then he laughed, and they poured themselves some coffee. They sipped in silence for a while, and Tim eventually ended up tucked against Gibbs' side, under his arm with his legs folded underneath himself on the couch.

"I needed this," Tim said quietly, putting down his mug. "Today was awful, but I feel better now."

"Glad we could help," Gibbs said, a little more gruffly than he'd meant to.

"You should jerk off tonight," Tony interrupted cheerfully, ignoring the way a silver-haired head and a brown-haired one both snapped up at this bold statement.

"Again?" Tim said slowly.

"It's great for stress relief," Tony explained. "Headaches too. Just take a long, hot bath and go to town. Really work yourself over, too, don't just go at it all quick and dirty to get yourself off fast. It doesn't work as well that way, and besides, I always pictured you as the type to savor it anyway."

Gibbs and McGee gaped silently at him for a moment, their mouths opening and closing wordlessly like a pair of fish. Tony flashed his dimples, shrugging. "I'm just saying, it'll help. Get on your back in the water, bring a bath pillow if you have one." He scooted closer, leaning in to meet Tim's huge, vividly green eyes dead-on. He watched him suck his thick lower lip into his mouth, his adam's apple bobbing slightly as he listened. At his side, Gibbs had tensed up considerably, his arm tightening a little around Tim's shoulders. "Use some shower gel, it'll wash off in the water later. Touch yourself - your body, not just your cock." Tony reached out, teasingly walking his fingers up McGee's chest, the heat of his skin tangible even through the fabric of his shirt. "I bet you love having your nipples played with, don't you?"

He grinned and pinched one of the aforementioned nipples through Tim's crisp white Oxford shirt, invoking a sharp intake of breath and a lowering of eyelashes as a faint flush spread up the sides of Tim's neck and across his round cheeks. "Yeah, I thought so," he murmured, his voice dropping into a honey-warm, husky tone. "I bet they're so sensitive that you shiver when you're putting on a wool sweater, don't you?" He tugged gently on the nipple he was currently abusing, lifting his free hand to pay attention to the other as well. He rolled them between his fingers, and Tim's head tipped back, exposing his pale throat in an instinctive gesture of trust. Gibbs' breathing became labored behind Tim, huffing out warm and heavy against the back of his neck.

"Oh my God, what's _happening_ right now," Tim hissed through gritted teeth, his eyes sinking closed as Tony began to skillfully unbutton his shirt. He stayed still and quiet as it was pushed off of his shoulders, the apartment warm enough to maintain his physical comfort. Penny had long since made herself scarce, and Gibbs helped to pull the shirt completely off. He tossed it to the side, disregarding Tim's proclivity for neatness, and instead focused on running his broad hands up the long, silky-hot expanse of Tim's back. His skin was milky and smooth all over, save for the tiny round mole just at the base of his spine.

The existence of that mole, and Gibbs' sudden blinding awareness of this miniscule and intimate detail of Tim's anatomy, touched him so deeply that he had to pause for a moment of extremely uncharacteristic sentimentality. He swallowed hard, and then leaned in to mouth open and wet against the rounded curve of Tim's shoulder. Tony dipped his head low to close his sweet mouth around Tim's nipple, lapping at it with his tongue and worrying it between his teeth until Tim choked out a sobbing sort of cry. His spine arched toward Tony, both hands rising to grip the back of his head and holding his mouth in place. Tony obeyed the unspoken instruction, suckling firmly at one nipple while his fingers played with the other.

Gibbs sank his teeth into the tender, creamy flesh at the crook of Tim's neck and shoulder, latching on to suck a deep, round bruise to the surface of his skin. He slid his arms around Tim's slightly pudgy waist to stroke his belly, and Tim twisted away a little, nearly dislodging Tony. Tony lifted his head, arching an eyebrow as Tim wrapped his arms protectively around himself. He didn't have to say anything, and Tony went all soft and reassuring around the eyes as he rose to his feet and reached for his hand. "C'mon, probie," he said softly. "Show us your bedroom."

Wordlessly, Tim led them into said bedroom, pushing open the door to reveal his most personal, private space. The walls had been painted a soothing pale green that nearly matched his eyes, his bed a huge king-sized with a thick comforter in green and brown, matching pillows and sheets. The floor was hardwood like the living room, an enormous bookshelf stuffed with books and notebooks standing in the far left corner by a tall window. His sensible cherrywood desk was arranged opposite to it, where his laptop and a few spare books and scattered pieces of paper waited - it was clear that this was where he did much of his writing. A pottery vase half as tall as Tony stood by the door leading into the bathroom, a bamboo plant by the window. It was a deeply peaceful-looking place, complete with the faint scent of a sandalwood candle still lingering in the air.

Tim smiled at Gibbs' expression. "This is my zen zone," he explained. "I need it nice and relaxed in here so I can write." He sat down on the edge of the bed, reaching for the lamp on his slim nightstand to switch it off. Tony's hand darted out to grip his wrist however, stopping him.

"Leave it on? Just for a minute?" he said quietly, pouting a little. Tim hesitated, but relented.

"Okay, but I want you both to know that I won't blame either of you if you run screaming into the night after seeing me naked in clear lighting," he pointed out, somewhere between dry wit and self-consciousnesses. Carefully, he unbuttoned his neatly-pressed gray suit pants and eased out of them, just lifting his hips from the bed slightly to do so. Once they'd been folded and placed carefully on the floor for later disposal, he made a valiant attempt to scramble under his covers, but it was Gibbs who stopped him this time.

"Let us look," he said, low and smooth in a way one simply did not question. Tim's obedient instinct kicked in immediately and he nodded, his arms falling away from himself as Gibbs took him into both hands and gently laid him down onto his back on the bed. He was only wearing his simple black boxer-briefs now, a visible erection already tenting the fabric. If he was judging accurately, he mused, Tim had a beautiful cock. The shape of it was thick and heavy, leaking a bit of dampness through the fabric. He was so pink and _soft_ , all over, that Gibbs' mouth watered. He turned his head to glance at Tony, looking down at Tim from the other side, and noted the raw heat blazing in his gaze.

"He's beautiful, isn't he?" he said quietly, watching Tony's greedy stare drinking in the sight of Tim, who writhed uncomfortably.

"Could you guys get undressed too?" he requested anxiously, rolling his head to the side and sinking his teeth into his lush lower lip. "Please? I'm feeling really vulnerable right now."

"Sure," Tony said reassuringly, shucking off his shirt and pants with no hesitation. His boxers were one of his less-ridiculous pairs - yellow with blue polka dots, his skin evenly golden everywhere. Gibbs and Tim took a moment to appreciate the thick, coarse brown chest hair across his chest, trailing thinly down his stomach and past the waistband of his boxers. His legs were long, powerful, his shoulders broad. Suddenly, Gibbs could understand how a man like him could approach women under the assumption of acceptance; he was a stunning specimen of a man, a credit to Italian males everywhere. His erection was already straining against his boxers, and he wasted no time in shedding those as well. It sprang free, big and thick and leaking, and Tim licked his lips.

Gibbs had never, ever been insecure, but in the presence of these two delicious men he suddenly felt hesitant to remove his own clothes. At their expectant stares however, he slowly unbuttoned his work shirt and pants, sliding them down his legs as quickly as possible before kicking them away. It had been so long - he was getting older, and occasionally his body would take its sweet time in interpreting the cues from his brain that he was really, really turned on. But these two had him running hot and aching in seconds, and Tony made an approving sound when he yanked off his boxers to reveal his cock, already stiff.

"C'mere, boss," Tony said, beckoning him with an index finger, and he couldn't have explained why he obeyed. But he did, joining them on the bed, and together he and Tony curled up on either side of Tim. "You've had a hard day, probie," Tony said tenderly, rubbing gentle circles with his palm into McGee's lower belly. "Hell, you've had a hard six months. And now you've got a hard Tony and a hard Gibbs." He snickered like a ten-year-old at his joke, ignoring two pairs of rolled eyes. "Let us take care of you tonight, you mean so much to us and we want to make you happy. Isn't that right?" He met Gibbs' eyes across Tim's chest.

"That's right," Gibbs agreed, passing a hand over the bulge of Tim's cock, dipping his fingertips into the waistband of his jockeys to lightly tease the hot skin he found there. Tim's whole body was burning up, his eyes looked feverish and glazed. They rolled back into his head with a strangled sound when Gibbs slipped his whole hand into his boxer-briefs to curl his fingers around Tim's cock, loving the way it jerked and throbbed against his palm. He was so sweetly responsive, panting and sweating already. Tony went back to his nipples, taking turns suckling at them until they were swollen and tender and his lips tingled.

"Got anything we can use to get you wet?" Tony asked casually, and Gibbs had to stop touching him for a moment while he gathered his scattered thoughts.

"Hand lotion in the drawer," he said hoarsely, inclining his head toward his night stand.

"Probie, I never!"

"My hands get dry!"

Laughing, Tony leaned over to press a wet, smacking kiss to Tim's lips. "Aw, Tim," he said warmly. "I adore you, I hope you know that. Don't listen to me when I'm giving you shit, listen to me now. Ti amo."

Tim melted a little, lowering his lashes in a way that made Tony's blood burn with lust. Gibbs carefully pulled down Tim's jockeys, exposing his predictably gorgeous cock. He had a beautifully shaped head and a thick shaft, heavy balls covered with a fine dusting of downy brown hair. The scent of his deep musk sparked something huge in both he and Tony. The latter fumbled around in the nightstand drawer briefly, before pulling his hand back with a little bottle of unscented lotion. Gibbs watched with heavy-lidded eyes.

"How do you want to do this?" he asked, leaning over to whisper the words into Tim's ear, nibbling a bit on his earlobe while he was there. Tim considered the question, and then rolled over onto his belly, surprising them both. He hoisted himself up onto his hands and knees, his hard dick jutting out from between his thighs, and spread his knees a little.

"Done this before, then?" Tony said, blinking, and Gibbs' hand darted out to smack him upside the head in a gesture that comforted everyone present.

"Once. College. MIT students can get crazy," Tim gasped out, rolling his hips instinctively. Gibbs uncapped the lotion, but Tony stopped him with a look.

"Hold up, boss," he requested, moving so that he was kneeling behind Tim. He took his ass into both hands, spreading him open with a soft sigh, and Tim moaned. "I've got to taste him first."

Tim's breath caught in his throat, but he rolled his hips back toward Tony, offering himself up. The sight of it nearly undid Gibbs, and he nodded and moved back. Tony lowered his head, leaning in and letting his eyes sink closed as his tongue darted out to take his first taste. Tim whimpered weakly, nearly jumping when Gibbs moved to his side to wrap both arms around his chest, taking both nipples between his fingers and rolling them firmly. His cock jerked against Tim's side, and Tim wished he had better balance so that he could reach over and stroke it for him. But then he was too busy moaning to wish for anything more than what he was getting, as Tony's tongue lapped wetly at his hole, coaxing it open. He felt hot and young and wild in their hands, half-insane with how badly he wanted this.

Tony was making such _contented_ sounds low in his throat, practically purring as he gently worked Tim over with his tongue until he was loose and wet enough to push it into him. Tim made a strangled sound, nearly crying for how good it was. Tony tongue-fucked his ass until he was satisfied that he'd been tormented long enough, while Gibbs stroked his belly and teased his nipples. It wasn't until they both realized that poor Tim was very close to having an orgasm right there against the sheets that they relented, and Tony moved away while Gibbs slipped an arm around his waist and scooped him onto his back as if he weighed nothing. Tim landed with a soft "oof," and Tony beamed down at him with a new light in his eyes.

"Before you," he said slowly, licking at the lingering taste of Tim on his lips, "we were a team. A damn good team. But then you came, and you made us a family. You finished us off, made us whole. You two make me want to be a better man, and at the risk of getting corny about this and totally ruining our sexcapades...you guys are my heart." He leaned over to kiss Gibbs, briefly slipping his tongue into his mouth and offering him a taste of Tim. Then he bent low to repeat the kiss with Tim, resting one hand tenderly against his cheek and sucking his tongue into his mouth for a moment.

Gibbs watched them, the wet, pink flashes of their tongues as they moved back and forth between their open mouths, and he swallowed. "Yeah," was all he could say, and Tim smiled understandingly up at him.

"Yeah," he agreed softly.

Gibbs reached out to brush his fingertips against Tim's soft lips, and he sighed and parted them, drawing them into his lush, wet mouth. "I'm going to fuck him first," he informed Tony, who knew better than to object. He pouted a little, but Tim grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Thank you," he whispered to Tony, who relaxed and pressed a tender kiss to his temple. "Here, let's..." he let his actions do the rest of his talking as he positioned himself on his hands and knees again, on the bed. "Tony, come get in front of me." Tony looked mildly confused, but he obeyed as Gibbs leaned over the side of the bed and snatched up Tony's jeans, where he of course had a condom waiting in his wallet. Luckily, he and Gibbs were about equal in terms of size. He rolled it over his twitching, aching cock and used some of the hand lotion to slick himself up. Meanwhile, Tim curled soft, slender fingers around the base of Tony's erection and shifted forward. His eyes drifted closed as his tongue darted out to lap tentatively at the leaking head, and Tony gave off a full-body shudder.

Gibbs had only been with a small handful of men in his life, none of whom had done for him what Tim and Tony were now, but he remembered enough to know that Tim needed some preparation. So he smoothed some lotion over his fingers, despite Tim still being damp from Tony's tongue, and slipped his index finger into his still-loose hole. He tensed up a little initially, tightening his searing heat around Jethro's finger in a dizzying way. But he probed further, his free hand rubbing the small of Tim's back soothingly, until he sank into it and rocked back with a small sound.

"That feel good?" Gibbs murmured quietly, encouraged by Tim's eager nod. He currently had his lips wrapped around the shaft of Tony's cock, his head bobbing back and forth as he struggled to take in as much of it as he could. He couldn't swallow much, but he managed about half before his throat reflexively closed up. Tony didn't seem to mind at all, massaging Tim's scalp with his fingers and mumbling tender things to him. Gibbs pressed a second finger into him, stretching him open and rubbing lightly over that small bump of flesh deep inside of him that made his eyes glassy, and he inhaled sharply through his nose but adjusted quickly.

It was just as Gibbs was positioning himself behind Tim with his cock practically straining toward his ass of its own accord that Tim got serious about the blowjob he was giving Tony. He tilted his head to the side with his mouth still full, and opened his throat, sliding down until he'd swallowed him down to the coarse curls at the base of his cock. Gibbs chose this moment to sink into him, relishing the blisteringly tight stretch of his flesh as it opened up around him. Tim would have wailed, but he was currently nursing a throatful of Tony's dick, and so he could only manage a choked sound.

"You like that?" Tony nearly snarled, his fingers tightening in McGee's hair until he was yanking, holding him in place. "Like being stuffed with cock? I knew it from day one, probie, you're a fucking slut for it. You walk around flashing those pretty eyes and acting all coy about shit, but you've been dying for this since we met." Tony's penchant for talking dirty was only sporadically appreciated by his female lovers, but both Tim and Gibbs groaned in response. Tim's aforementioned pretty green eyes were starting to water, but he valiantly rubbed his tongue along the underside of Tony's balls, wishing he could swallow them along with his dick. Finally, Tony relented and drew away to let him gasp for air, but it was only a moment before he was lurching forward to deepthroat him again.

"More," he mumbled around Tony's cock. "Pull my hair."

Gibbs and Tony exchanged a surprised look over Tim's back. Gibbs' smile was wolfish. "You heard the man, DiNozzo," he said sternly, even as he shuddered, sinking all the way into Tim's ass.

"I'm pretty sure that was the sound of us hitting the _jackpot_ , boss," Tony responded cheerfully, giving Tim's short brown hair a sharp yank. Tim made a happy sound, but drew away to instruct Gibbs as well.

"Stop holding back," he said, glancing back over his shoulder. "Fuck me like a man."

Gibbs blinked at him. "Pushy little thing, aren't you?"

"Or we can switch places and I can show you how it's done," Tim retorted, arching an eyebrow. Gibbs laughed, a short, reckless sound, and pulled nearly all the way out of Tim before slamming his hips forward. Tim pitched forward with Tony's cock still in his mouth, the motion of it snapping him all the way down again so that it was buried in his throat once more. Tony started thrusting in earnest, fucking Tim's throat until his lips and tongue went raw and numb and bruised, until he knew he'd be hoarse for days. He _loved_ it, being used by these two men. His body only existed for their pleasure in that moment. In that moment, he was their property, and it woke up something long-dormant in him, a hunger he'd never understood before. He'd known stirrings of it - it had begun in college, the first time another man had pinned him to a dorm-room door, rutting greedily against him with his hips until they'd both climaxed in their jeans.

But the evolution of his sexual identity had stagnated after that, along with his homosexual experiences. Women - the women he'd been with, anyway - were soft and sweet and melted in his arms, all kittenish whispers and fluttering eyelashes. He'd liked that too, but this was a whole new kind of desire. One he knew now he couldn't give up, not after tonight.

Gibbs fucked him hard and fast, battering his prostate until he felt as if it too would be bruised in the morning. He realized all at once that he wouldn't be able to sit down for days without at least a twinge of pain a lingering, thrumming ache in his ass and echoing throughout his lower body. Something to trigger the memory of his boss's thick cock, the rough hand that was suddenly working itself around his waist to wrap around his erection. Gibbs jerked him as firmly and relentlessly as he was fucking him, in rhythm with his pounding. Tony was reaching down to touch his swollen lips, where they were still wrapped around his dick, his nose buried in the curls at the apex of his strong thighs. Slowly, he slipped his index finger into Tim's mouth alongside his cock, and Tim was lost.

His orgasm sizzled through him like a white-hot bullet, tearing him in half with its devastating force. He couldn't stop coming, couldn't help it. His cock pulsed with it, hard waves of pleasure roiling through him and sending long, blinding bursts of it spilling from him and all over the sheets. He rocked his way through it, babbling delirious nonsense even as Tony tensed up all over and jerked his hair so hard he nearly tore some of it out. Salty, bitter come flooded his drooling mouth, spilling from the corners of it and down his chin. Tony had been so deep down his throat that swallowing hadn't taken much effort, though he did sputter a bit.

Tony pulled back for the last few spurts of it, taking his own cock into his hand and aiming them at Tim's face. They hit his cheek, his lips, splattering warm and wet there. He sighed happily, pleased, his tongue darting out to taste some of it.

Gibbs wasn't far behind either of them, and Tim suddenly mourned the presence of the condom as he dug his short nails into his back and spat out through gritted teeth; "Fuck. Fuck!" and came. He could feel it throbbing deep in his ass, as he drank in the sweet, delicious ache of it, but he wanted the hot flood of his come too. It was a need he hadn't expected, and he mused on it even as Gibbs pulled out of him and tugged off the condom, tying it off and tossing it into the little wastebasket beside the bed. Tony had already collapsed onto his back, and Tim snuggled up to him as Gibbs went for a washcloth. He returned with it in one hand, a slim volume of poetry from Tim's bookshelf in the other.

"It's one of your favorites," he said, handing Tim the washcloth and looking it over. It was dog-eared and highlighted, interpretive notes scribbled in the margins. It wasn't a question.

"Yes, it is," Tim said quietly, his whole body slowly beginning to sink into a deeply satisfying soreness. His lips were swollen and bruised, his tongue felt thick and numb in his mouth. His cock was limp and heavy and damp against his thigh, and still he wanted more. Gibbs climbed into bed, leaning over him to kiss Tony briefly, and then Tim, who settled between them.

"Read something to us," Gibbs said, and nodding, Tim took the book from him. "One that means something to you."

He flipped through it for a moment, though he'd known immediately which poem to read. Clearing his throat, he arrived at a well-worn page and began.

"Be a person here. Stand by the river, invoke the owls. Invoke winter, then spring. Let any season that wants to come here make its own call. After that sound goes away, wait. A slow bubble rises through the earth and begins to include sky, stars, all space, even the outracing, expanding thought. Come back and hear the little sound again. Suddenly this dream you are having matches everyone’s dream, and the result is the world. If a different call came there wouldn’t be any world, or you, or the river, or the owls calling. How you stand here is important. How you listen for the next things to happen. How you breathe." He looked up at them, shrugging sheepishly. "I love William Stafford."

Tony pressed his face against the side of Tim's neck, hugging him tightly. For once, he was silent and thoughtful. Gibbs rolled the words over in his mind, thought about what tonight meant for them. Tim reached for him, and the three of them ended up spooning in the center of the bed.

Outside, on the street below and in the buildings towering above their heads, the city rumbled on.

End.


End file.
